March
2026 Album Challenge (Home Link)
Johnny Blue Skies (aka Sturgill Simpson) - Mutiny After Midnight
Format: YouTube
Stereo
Notes: I was expecting to listen to this in March, but not as early as the 2nd. The release date is officially the 13th, but Sturgill did his usual wildcard thing and put it up on YouTube for the masses. It's an easy score for Simpson (or Johnny Blue Skies by his alter ego) with me as I haven't heard anything yet from him that I didn't care for. This one is a kind of a mix of Sound & Fury and his last record Passage du Desir. You will find the occasional "country" note here and there but this is mostly a mixture of pop, soul, and disco. Not quite a jam record, but it does take the opportunity at times to cut loose. On my first couple of listens, I really like it. Early favorites are "Don't Let Go", "Stay On That" and "Ain't That a Bitch".
The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Format: CD
Fiio FT-1 Headphones
Notes: One of my favorite albums ever. I was on board way before most people discovered it. Quite a sonic pleasure with a lot of funk running through the albums veins. Lyrically, it's quite diverse and it is the starting point of them being more conscious of who they want to be and how they want to impact their fans and the hip hop genre. The album was largely ignored upon release but has since been called "The Sgt Peppers of hip-hop" and has garnered 5 star reviews from Rolling Stone, Mojo, All Music, as well as 10/10 from Pitchfork and Spin, with most other reviewers clocking in with top notch praise. "Hey Ladies", "Looking Down The Barrel...", "Shadrach", and "Car Thief" are my favorite tracks.
The Beach Boys - Surf's Up
Format: Apple Music
Fiio FT-1 Headphones
Notes: When this was released, the Beach Boys were going through changes. The songwriting began to be spread out among the members of the band instead of falling largely to Brian Wilson. The album is full of melody as you would expect and while it's not as striking as Pet Sounds (I mean, how many albums are?) it has its' moments. "Feel Flows" is the highlight of the record in my opinion. Penned by Carl Wilson and their then manager Jack Rieley it's a soft, haunting psychedelic tune with a melody that sticks in your head. Cameron Crowe used it in his fantastic film "Almost Famous". "Disney Girls" is a catchy effort by Bruce Johnston that tells of a man that is stuck in nostalgia. I think this one is severely underrated and if you like the Beach Boys, give it a shot. It's probably a little late for their "hey day" and a little early to have cashed in on the emerging "AM Gold" songs from the mid to late 70s.
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
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Bose 700 Headphones
Notes: I really like this album. She has a great voice and Winehouse has a knack for personal and playful lyrics. My favorite tracks are "Rehab", "Back to Black", and "Love Is A Losing Game".
Pete Searcy - Could You Please and Thank You
Airpods Pro2
Notes: A recommendation by my friend Brian, I enjoyed the listen. I knew a little of Searcy, but had never listened to an album previous to this. Very much of its time (90s), it calls back to a sound that will be familiar to radio listeners from that time. It falls in line with bands like Goo Goo Dolls, Soul Asylum, Gin Blossoms, etc. Standout tracks for me were "Nothing", "Bored", and "Furniture".
Big Star - #1 Record
Airpods Pro2
Notes: One of the most underrated bands and albums of the 70s. They were power pop before a term had even been thought of. Big Star influenced the likes of REM, The Jayhawks, and The Replacements among others. "Feel", "Ballad of El Goodo" and "In The Street" are favorites on an album that is top notch front to back.
Buckingham Nicks - Buckingham Nicks
Notes: A cool record that shows their emerging talents just prior to joining Fleetwood Mac. You can see where they were going to take their new bandmates with the solid pop melodies and guitar work.
Billy Joel - Glass Houses
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Notes: I have always loved 52nd Street, but this is probably his best album overall. As they say, "All killer, no filler.".
Paul Westerberg (aka Grandpa Boy) - Mono
Notes: In my opinion this is as good a record that Westerberg did without the Replacements name on it. Energetic, fun, and one of his finest songs ever "2 Days Till Tomorrow".
The Eagles - Hotel California
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Notes: An album that I like to hit a couple times a year.
Paul McCartney - McCartney III
Notes: In the tradition of the previous "McCartney" albums, Paul plays all the instruments and wiggles away from some of his more conventional ways.
Jimmy Buffett - Living & Dying in 3/4 Time
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Notes: A stellar record from when Buffett made great albums and didn't rely on a vibe to skate through another record.
Tyler Childers - Purgatory
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Notes: Fantastic debut record without weakness. This put him on the map and "Whitehouse Road" was on repeat for days in my car!
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